18 new businesses opening in downtown London Ont., part of core area revitalization program

A new pilot program looking to revitalize vacant storefronts in the centre of London, Ont., is helping 18 new businesses to move into the core.

A new pilot program aimed at revitalizing vacant storefronts in the centre of London, Ont., is helping 18 new businesses to move into the core.

The Explore the Core program is helping to create 160 new jobs and repurpose 43,000 square feet of vacant or unused space.

The announcement was made at The Grove, in the West Fair District, Monday morning with a number of business leaders and small business owners involved in the initiative in attendance.

“Explore the Core is a new marketing campaign between all the East Village and the downtown Main Street London folks to help make it easier for companies to identify vacant spaces, remove barriers and constraints that might be preventing them from taking spaces and just overall marketing and promotional initiatives,” said Kapil Lakhotia, president of the London economic development corporation.

The project is part of the City of London’s Core Area Action Plan, through $300,000 from the London Community and Recovery Network in partnership with the London Economic Development Corporation, Small Business Center, Main Street London, and the Old East Village BIA.

Together the organizations worked to come up with new initiatives to attract more businesses to the core.

“It’s especially important in a post-COVID environment as retail is evolving to a new model, a lot of folks who are looking to start their own businesses and take space downtown require the supports, the tools, and the advice and guidance through all of these different channels. It’s truly a no-wrong-door approach; wherever leads originate, we find the right resources, incentives and supports for them to ensure long-term success.”

Lakhotia says entrepreneurs have access to the coaching and training programs to help them launch businesses, grants to help cover start-up costs and initiatives which help identify unused spaces.